Footwear



Feb. 3. 1925.

J. S. CLARKE FOOTWEAR Filed July 5, 1921 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SEALY CLARKE, OF WESTMJ ZNSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGN'OR TO WOOD- MILNE, LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

FOOTWEAR.

Application filed July 5, 1921. Serial 1T0. 482,875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SEALY CLARKE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Westminster, London, 5 England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Footwear; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the/same.

This invention has reference to soles and heels or sole or heel pads formed of india rubber or the like resilient material, for attachment to boots and shoes. The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of such soles and heels or sole or heel pads of great lightness, and presenting numerous advantages over existing protective soles and heels of the kind in question, in that uniform wear is ensured by the provision of a tread surface of ample area. and liability of slipping on wet roads is reduced by means that also serve to augment the cushioning effect and thereby conduoe to ease in walking.

As heretofore usual the improved sole or heel, or complete sole and heel in one piece, or sole or heel pad or tip, hereinafter referred to as sole, is adapted to be affixed to the bottom of a boot or shoe by a suitable adhesive, or by screws or nails the heads of which are sunk, or by sewing, or by any combination thereof. If nails or screws are employed the holes therefor may in the known and usual manner be fitted with metal strengthening plates or washers.

According to the invention the improved sole comprises a base orfoundation from which projects a tread or thickened portion formed with recesses in which are arran ed projections of relatively small cross section and of any desired shape such for example as circular, oval or polygonal, the construction and arran ement being such that in use the wei ht an wear is taken by the tread or thic ened portions the projections of small cross section being free to expand in the recesses when subjected to pressure and also free to assume canted or inclined tions calculated to resist any tendenc o the sole or heel to slip when in use an generally to augment the non-slipping properties of the sole.

In order allow the escape of air that otherwlse might be trapped in the recesses when the sole is in use, and consequently to avoid the sucking action and unpleasant squelchlng noise that might then obtain, the surface of the tread or thickened portions, or some of them, is formed with grooves or serrations that extend from the recesses to the outer edges of the said tread or thickened portions.

For the pur ose of increasing the life of a rotective so e or sole pa'd formed of india ru ber or the like the toe end thereof is thlckened towards the end so as to provide an increased thickness of material at the part most subject to wear. Y

With advanta e the before mentioned pro ections of relatively small cross section are raised relatively to the thickened or tread portions, that is to say they project shghtly beyond the same so that when the sole or heel is in use the projections first meet the ground and are com ressed before the weight and wear is receive by the thickened or tread ortions of the sole.

Preferably t c said projections are of circular cross section and the recesses in which they are arran ed are of circular shape and concentric to t c said projections Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in plan one formation of a rubber sole embodying the invention. i

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal section 'correspon ing to the line 2, 2 of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is a part plan of a rub er sole with a thickened toe portion.- 7

Fig. 4 is a. section corresponding to the line 4, 4 of Fig. 3, and

Fi 5 is a side elevation of the toe end of a boot to which a rubber sole of the kind shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is fitted.

The sole illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 com prises a. base or foundation 1 the marginal portion of which is tapered ofii to a thin or feather edge in known manner to facilitate the secure cementing of the sole edges to a boot or shoe and to prevent an sibility of such edges becoming loose uring wear. Formed integrally with such foundation are thickened or tread portions 2 having recesses 3 therein. In each recess3 is a projection 4 also formed integrally with the foundation 1 and extending slightly beyond the surface of the tread ortions 2. In the example shown each pro ection 4 is of circular cross section and is arranged at the centre of the corresponding recess 3 which is of circular shape. To prevent air' being trapped in the recesses 3 the surface of the raised or tread portions 2, except the surface of the raised or tread portion at the toe end, is formed with a plurality of grooves 5 communicatin with the recesses 3 and extending there 'om to the outer edges of the raised or tread portions 2. Thegroo'ves 5 also augment the non-slipping character of the sole.

Near the waist end the sole may be formed with a shallow recess 6 of circular or other shape in which may be moulded the trade mark or name of the manufacturer, and a recess 7 of rectangular or other shape in which may be moulded the size of the sole and any other particulars desired.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate how the toe end of a rubber sole may according to this invention be thickened to increase the life of the sole. As will be seen from Fig. 5, a boot normally curves upwardly towards the toe end and by thickening the toe end of the protective rubber sole towards the end not only is the life of the protective sole increased by the extra thickness of material at such part but there is provided a more level tread that conduces to easy walking. As seen particularly in Fig. 4, the thickened toe end 8 does not terminate abruptly but in a gentle curve 9 that blends into the feather edge 10.

It will be understood that without departure from the invention considerable modifications in details may be made, for example the flexible projections are not necessarily circular in cross section, neither is it essential that such projections should project beyond the tread surface; moreover,

the number and arrangement of the projections and corresponding recesses can be varied as desired.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j 1. A rubber tread plate for footwear having a tread or weight bearing surface formed with a series of recesses distributed throughout its area in each of which is arranged a plain pensile stud of small cross section raised relatively to the wearing surface of the plate, each such plain pensile stud being adapted to give under pressure and to expand and cant or assume an inclined position within its corresponding recess.

2. A rubber tread plate for footwear having a tread or weight bearing surface formed with a series of circular recesses distributed throughout its area in each of which is arranged a plain pensile stud of small circular cross section raised relatively to the wearing surface of the plate, each such plain pensile stud being adapted to give under pressure and to expand and cant or assume an inclined position within its corresponding circular recess.

3 A rubber tread plate for footwear having a tread or weight bearing surface formed with a series of circular recesses distributed throughout its area in each of which is arranged a plain pensile stud of small circular cross section raised relatively to the wearing surface of the plate, each such plain pensile stud being adapted to give under pressure and to expand and cant or assume an inclined position withln lts corresponding circular recess, and air escape grooves extending between the several circular recesses and to the sides of the plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES SEALY CLARKE.

Witnesses:

An'rHU C. LACOMBE, REGINALD J. RIDGEWELL. 

